By Justin Flynn
Snakes are already on the move around Geelong, according to reports from walkers.
Most were seen along the Barwon River and at Lara, Corio, Marshall and on the Bellarine Peninsula.
The snakes were coming out of hibernation to breed, snake catcher Darren Keiller said.
He warned that the freshley emerged snakes were territorial and “very aggressive“.
Mr Keiller expected to be busy in the next few weeks.
“I think it’ll really pick up fairly soon. Last year was super busy.”
Mr Keiller warned walkers encountering snakes to keep their distance.
“They’re very misunderstood – they don’t want to bite. If you see one, just back off quickly away from it.”
Mr Keiller had just returned from catching a snake at Marshall when he spoke to the Indy this week.
“The owners of a dog were alerted to the snake by the dog barking at the snake that was behind a log,” he said.
Locals reported snake bites killing pet dogs in recent weeks.
Mr Keiller urged dog owners to keep their pets on leashed and to keep them out of bushland and long grass.
“If a dog starts acting weird or vomiting, that’s a sure sign that it’s been bitten,” he said.
“All snakes are deaf, it’s the smell of the dog that they will pick up on first. It doesn’t matter how much noise you’re making – they won’t hear you.”
Mr Keiller said long pants and boots could serve as protection while mowing or whipper-snipping.
About 90 per cent of his catch was tiger snakes but copperheads were also common, he said.
